Davis collective launches fundraising campaign in search of new home

A single point of infinite energy. That’s all it took to create the universe. Planets, atmosphere, water, life — the entirety of the universe generated from nothing.

The artists of Third Space Art Collective may not be wielding hydrogen gases and subatomic particles, but they’re certainly creating something. They’re brandishing paintbrushes and re-purposing waste; threading plotlines at storytelling workshops; playing tetris with speakers for the night’s performance.

“In Davis there’s a lot of creative people, a lot of musicians, a lot of youth, and creativity coming together,” said Dylan Wright, one of Third Space’s co-founders and facilities managers. “So there’s a lot of music, a lot of people who want to get crazy with the visual and performing arts, and we realized that there was this void where it was critical. We just kind of took a deep breath and jumped into it — made it happen.”

Third Space’s mission remains consistent with its origins. The mixed-use facility, located on Olive Dr. in southeast Davis, serves as a community events space, a host for private and public studios and a hub for collaboration and creativity.

So when Third Space — the pulsing heart of the Davis art scene — was notified that they must evacuate their space, the city’s cultural extremities were put in jeopardy.

“Third Space Art Collective, a non-profit organization […that] serves as a unique creative and social hub for local artists and musicians, received an order to vacate their 6,000 square foot building by the end of April,” stated the collective’s press release. “The recent sale of the building means the Collective members need to find interim storage and raise money for relocation on short order.”

Since its inception in 2013, the art collective has hosted over 175 music shows, 32 art shows, 92 workshops, 41 theater events, 29 poetry and storytelling events and 70 other general events, according to its IndieGoGo campaign. “In total we have served over 15,000 people in just 3 and a half years,” the campaign stated.

Third Space had been a longtime dream for its co-founders, but the vision only came to fruition in 2013. Despite its relative youth, the space has become an important fixture for the Davis community.

“I believe that Third Space will soon be seen as one of the crown jewels of Davis. It already is as far as I’m concerned,” said Dave Griffin, another co-founder of the collective. “This is such an amazing organization and such a special concept and group of people that it would be a crime if we didn’t utilize every resource possible to help it stay in Davis.”

In addition to its community outreach, Third Space has proven itself a safe and reliable space for both its artists and its visitors. And, in light of the “Ghost Ship” fire that killed 36 people at a warehouse concert in Oakland last December, these vital community art spaces are being scrutinized now more than ever.

“We’ve never had an incident with the cops, never an injury. We’re a dry space (except for five to six times we’ve had a special one-time permit), we have a fat insurance policy and no one has ever lived there,” Wright said. “On the tails of the Ghost Ship, I hear they’re closing down places across the country. The liability is insane.”

Third Space prides itself on this professional attitude. And though the organization may hold a business mindset, it operates as a non-profit. In fact, the space was originally devised to house emerging artists who lacked the space or funds to kickstart their careers.

Basic membership at Third Space starts at $50 a month, but Wright noted this fee can be offset by volunteering in the shared space by cleaning, organizing and performing miscellaneous tasks that further the usability of the space.

“We saw that there was a huge divide in Davis between successful artists at the galleries, and all the hundreds, potentially thousands, of people who are artistic but don’t have an outlet, or don’t have a place to perform, or do their work or show their work,” Wright said. “So we felt that, as a service to the community, we would basically make this place available and most importantly, affordable.”

Making the space affordable for its studio renters remains a primary goal for the collective. In fact, the money accrued from renting these studio spaces is their primary source of income.

“These affordable opportunities, along with the communal work area, are such unique and important contributions to the Davis community,” said Emily Jones, Third Space’s publicity coordinator. “It really promotes creativity in our area, which is always important for any community, which in turn allows for artistic networks to form, which encourages more creativity and collaborations, and so on. It’s a positive feedback loop.”

For this reason, Third Space’s foremost objective is to find a new location. Without the physical space, their mission is intangible.

“Our primary goal is to find a new location for the Third Space community and mission to live on,” Jones said. “Because we are a nonprofit, we struggle with affording the expenditures that come along with moving.”

A fundraising site has been established for the collective with a goal of $50,000. The amount would cover a variety of expenditures, including their first few months of rent and insurance, a deposit, storage fees and more. As of now, the fundraiser has raised $679 — only 1 percent of its goal.

The non-profit organization has provided Davis with a safe, welcoming and collaborative environment for over 15,000 different people, yet its IndieGoGo has been backed by only 15 donors. The community benefit derived from Third Space’s existence is irrefutable; so why do their efforts reflect a drastically different number?

It’s precisely the same reason Third Space was contrived in the first place: artists lack the space, the material, the finances and, more importantly, the community support required to prosper.

“What I believe to be the most important function that Third Space serves to the community is as an incubator for entrepreneur[ial] artists,” Griffin said. “Virtually every artist that has come through these doors has been a self-employed business owner on some level. People are using Third Space as a stepping stone to launch their careers. This isn’t just a bunch of kids playing with paint. These are serious working artists dedicated to their craft.”

One member recalls how, upon moving to Davis, Third Space became the first place she felt explicitly welcomed by the community. After kickstarting her own podcast, Lisa Cantrell received unparalleled support from other members of the collective. Someone helped her make pins and t-shirts for advertising, and she even received advice from an audio engineer at the collective.

“Third Space for me has been just crucial in terms of building a community here,” Cantrell said. “It’s not just a place where people make work or have their private studios, it is also a space where people come together and collaborate and make meaningful connections with another. And I think that is for me, a huge loss. The loss of that kind of community, of that kind of physical space where people come together, meet, formulate new ideas and then go off and do those things in Davis.”

Moving forward, Third Space and its members are in search of community support — whether that comes in the form of donations, physical help, suggesting ideas or attending events. Though they are primarily in search of a new location, Third Space members are encouraging anyone with special skills or ideas to reach out on their website. Some of the collective’s members are even attending city council meetings to bring the issue to light on a larger scale.

“We are hoping to apply positive, constructive and cooperative pressure to the political community of Davis as well as the donor class and business community,” Griffin said. “So our efforts are multi-pronged and we are trying to use every tool at our disposal to help keep Third Space alive and functioning.”

The community has explicitly attested to such support, and the testimonials found on Third Space’s website make this apparent. A particularly poignant testimonial reads: “If Third Space ever died, Davis would become exponentially less cool.”

Another reads, “Third Space is a place that the people of Davis have built for themselves, and the amount of work evident is astonishing. This alone should be proof that the community cares deeply about its benefits.”

“I think, in a word, [Third Space] is vital,” Wright said. “I think if you look through history, some of the most celebrated societies were those that had a vibrant art scene, or that which stands the ages is architecture and art and creative writing and performances. Next to politics and wars, those are the things that people focus on and remember.”

In order to persevere, this vital community space requires support on more than a verbal scale, more than money and space and supplies. Third Space requires a collaborative, community version of the Big Bang — a singular point of infinite energy, if you will.
Written by: Ally Overbay — arts@theaggie.org

Monthly crafts fair brings repurposed books, gemstones to community

The latest monthly Vintage and Crafts Fair took place on Feb. 12 in Central Park. This fair will fill the heart of any craft lover: not only are there plenty of crafts to buy, but there is live music and food as well.

Here’s a look at some of the vendors that are there each month.

My Booklandia: Unique literary home decor made from upcycled books

Owner Gloria Pearson has been creating home decor out of books since 2013, when she decided to donate her abundant collection of novels. However, she soon learned that when books are donated to places such as Salvation Army or Goodwill, if there’s no room for them, they oftentimes get dumped in a landfill.

“I thought of a better plan,” Pearson said. “I started to make clocks and lamps out of my books, and then it turned into me buying books from all the places that would end up sending them to landfills.”

Her business has grown so much that she is no longer using her own collection of books and is instead forced to buy them. This allows her to take requests from customers as to which books they want to be upcycled; the most requested book recently has been Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Pearson can be found on Etsy or at local craft fairs in the Sacramento Area.

RePurpose Salvage & Furniture

Steven Ropp’s craft booth started about eight years ago when he began making furniture and took an interest in reclaimed and recycled wood. This interest led him to explore industrial salvage and demo work. Ropp likes to see things reused and repurposed rather than simply thrown away.

“From a practical standpoint I think people appreciate it too when [furniture] has some character instead of the same thing from IKEA,” Ropp said.

Ropp has a workshop in Sacramento and sells mainly custom orders.

His items can be found on Craigslist, Amazon, Facebook and at some craft fairs.

Pamona Purdy Jewelry

Pamona Purdy, the creator of this jewelry business, learned the ropes of jewelry-making about five years ago from a friend in the same business. Her favorite type of material to use is gemstones. According to her, the different shapes help make each piece of jewelry unique.

“My favorite stones to work with and that happen to be the best sellers are turquoise and a pink stone called strawberry quartz,” Purdy said.

She sells her jewelry at a few craft fairs in the Bay Area, and Feb. 12 was her first time coming back to Davis in a long time. She is currently trying to transition away from craft fairs because it is a large time commitment. Instead, she is now working on getting her line into a few boutiques in Sacramento.  

The next craft fair will be held in Central Park on March 12 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Those interested can visit the Facebook event for more details.

Written by: CaraJoy Kleinrock — arts@theaggie.org

Brighten up spring quarter with The Beatles, arts and natural sciences

With the wide variety of classes offered at Davis, it can be hard to decide on a Spring Quarter schedule. Whether you’re looking for a fun four-unit class, seeking to expand your cultural knowledge or simply want a break from a heavy load of science classes, here are a few spring quarter classes that will be sure to spark your creative side.

MUS116: Introduction to the Music of The Beatles

The Beatles, renowned for their songs like “Strawberry Fields,” “ Help,” “Hey Jude” and “Yesterday,” deeply transformed the music industry and altered the political sphere during the 1960s. While the band is known for its idiosyncratic music style, many remain unaware of the meanings behind their songs or even the band’s history.

Chris Reynolds, a professor of music, teaches a course about The Beatles every Spring Quarter.

“My Beatles class is about how to listen to music,” Reynolds said. “We’ll spend a lot of time talking about how one Beatles song relates to a song by Bob Dylan or by the Rolling Stones and how modern groups are echoing things that the Beatles did. I think it’s a course that ultimately changes the way people listen to music because they realize music says a lot of things that they didn’t realize were there.”

Though this is an upper-division course, it is open to almost any student who is interested.

“There is a big range of students who come into the class,” Reynolds said. “Some know quite a few Beatles songs and some know that the Beatles are important but know nothing about them. I enjoy talking to both groups. The groups that know a number of Beatles songs don’t realize what those songs meant when they came out and therefore don’t realize what the songs are trying to communicate.”

According to Reynolds, The Beatles’ music can be misunderstood. It does not exist solely as a spectacle, but as a collection of personal and political accounts from the 1950s to the 1970s.

“The Beatles’ songs are very entertaining but they are not just entertainment,” Reynolds said. “They are in many cases very serious, personal messages and personal expressions about problems in their lives or political statements. I think that people who know the Beatles’ songs still have a lot to learn about what they’re saying.”

The most important message you can expect to take away from this class is that music, like literature, is a work of art that needs to be analyzed to be fully appreciated.

“When I first taught the class, I was curious as to whether I would get tired of experiencing the Beatles so intensely,” Reynolds said. “It was quite the contrary. If you listen and don’t listen critically, you’re missing a lot.”

PLS006: Application of the Art and Science of the Beauty and Perfection of Flowers

A perfect way to transition into UC Davis’ spring festivities is to learn about floriculture. Heiner Lieth, a professor of environmental horticulture, wanted to teach students about flowers since they are so integral to social customs, from the celebration of an anniversary or mourning the passage of a loved one.

“I was traveling in Europe and realized that this particular concept could work fairly well as a class,” Lieth said. “I ran it as a freshman seminar, which is limited to only 15 students.”

However, he did not predict that this course would become so popular. The course’s increasing numbers have forced him to move into a larger classroom year after year.

“The first time I walked in expecting 15 students, there were actually 40 students,” Lieth said. “Not only were there students on the waiting list, there were students waiting to get on the waiting list. That was my first inclination that students would actually gravitate towards this class. It was never supposed to blow up like this, but now that it has gotten so big, I’m intrigued by it.”

This course teaches students how to distinguish different species of flowers and to use that knowledge in real-world applications. Heith created an assignment called “Flower Impact,” in which students gift flowers to someone and write about their reaction to receiving it.

The title of the course, “Flower Power,” derived from the counterculture movement, entices many students to take the course.

“Flower power was a slogan from the 60s and 70s and actually has been recycled many times by different industries. In the floriculture industry, flower power is used on the commercial side to describe flowering plants that have a lot of traction for people — they kind of ‘sell themselves’ if you will,” Lieth said. “The title of the course is not just ‘flower power.’ The full title of the class is something like ‘Flower Power: The Application of Art and Science of the Beauty and Perfection of Flowers.’”

ENT001: Art, Science and the World of Insects

Entering a research university like UC Davis can make it difficult to indulge in artistic creativity while maintaining a rigorous schedule of tough STEM courses. However, entomology Professor Diane Ullman proves that science is not separate from the arts; in fact, the two go hand-in-hand.

“The idea of the class is two-fold really,” Ullman said. “One is to bring together the arts and the sciences and let students explore the commonalities of those disciplines. We can benefit a lot from the different ways that we view the world. There’s a real borderland between the arts and sciences that isn’t explored that often, but it’s very rich and stimulates people to look for solutions to complex problems.”

This course offers three different studio sections, ranging from painting to glasswork. As both a scientist and an artist, Ullman realized that there is not enough encouragement for young scientists to stay innovative and artistic in college.

“One thing I’ve noticed now in my 22nd year at UC Davis, students come here and almost by necessity get really focused on their majors and courses that relate to their major, and they don’t always get a lot of opportunity to explore across these boundaries,” Ullman said. “Another goal is to have students connect what they learn from a classroom lecture environment with what they can do with their hands. Everything is pretty much intellectual and very focused on reading and searching for information in a written way. This gives students the opportunity to do synthesis of information leading to visual literacy and working with their hands to create something.”

This introductory entomology course is different from an average science class at UC Davis. Students will not only learn about terrestrial arthropod diversity, but also apply that knowledge into making artwork, which will be displayed in an exhibition at the end of the quarter.

“We also want to give students the opportunity to collaborate and work in teams,” Ullman said. “We often do large-scaled group projects, so if you walk around campus out in the arboretum, there are many ceramic mosaic pieces and ceramic sculptural pieces that came from students in this class.”
Written by: Becky Lee — arts@theaggie.org